Route 3. From Doc Craven, up the high road and a fast path down

This route starts off from the Doc Craven statue at the Danie Craven stadium and back down again.

Distance: 4.1k m
Climb: 148 m
Water Available: None
Dangers: Cyclists trying to break land speed records on the descent and the Cat 4 climb
Terrain.  3/4 gravel road.  1/4 single track.


This route starts off from the Doc Craven statue.  Proceed all along the rugby fields and river to the cricket clubhouse and past.  After about 1km you will get to a big Pine tree standing at a turn in the road.  You now turn right and go up the toughest part of todays road.  This is the dreaded Category 4 climb.  You will now climb steadily for the next 1km.  When you think you are almost at the top turn to your left, go around a corner and let the climb continue (Its ok to walk a bit here, you are only human afterall).  You will soon get to an old broken down building.  This is the top of todays climb.  Take a breather and look at the view.  You have earned it.

The view from the top.  Not too shabby Nige.

Now go down the marked path to get to the stairs.  Take the stairs until you get to the bottom when you will now be on a single track.  Continue on the single track for the next 1km over two ridges.  When you get to the top of the second ridge you will meet up with the gravel road.  Turn right here and start your descent.  Keep on going down straight running in the direction of the dam you see in front of you.  When you get to the dam keep on straight, go off the road and go past the rubbish bin making a beeline for rugby fields between the Danie Craven Stadium and the US Gym.  Pretty soon you will find a cement and rock flood canal.  Turn right again and run down the flood canal until you get the steps at the top of the stadium.  Down the steps you go.  Then run under the stadium until you get back to Doc Craven.  Well done.





Other Strava segments you will get is.


Coetzenburg flat Jeep track
Jonkershoek Rd Climb (Cat4)
Stellenbosh berg sprint
Stairway to Heaven
Rocky Section to top of Extreme Climb


Here is a short video of the run.

Route 2. Quick turn off the R44

This route is for those that are running on the R44 between Stellenbosch and the Strand and just want a quick turn off the very busy road.

Distance: 1.4km
Climb: - 27m
Water Available: None
Dangers:  Dogs and People
Terrain:  Mostly dirt track. Will be muddy in the winter.

I hate running on the R44.  The fumes from the cars cannot be good for you.  So I routinely take this little route to get away from the busy road.  It is a short downhill run next to a little river.

The entry point is on the R44 just before you start getting to the top of the Die Boord housing.  It is halfway between the Parmalat robots and the Stellenbosch Golf Course.  You will find an open pedestrian gate down a steep embankment.  You run down here and follow the river.  You will get to some small farmworker houses in after about 800m.  You can choose to up and follow the road over the top of the houses or just cut through the bottom of the set of  houses.  To avoid the yapping dogs it would be best to run round the bottom of the first house.

Continue on this road until you get the tar road where you turn right and will find yourself at the bottom of Van Reede and Lovell.  You can now get back to the R44 by running straight up Van Reede.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

*The dogs here can be quite aggressive.  Try to avoid them.
*They sometimes spray the vineyards.  If you see a tractor spraying turn around and run back. The spray wont kill you but it might cause severe allergic reactions.
*You are running on private ground.  Please be mindful of that at all times.

Route 1: Eden Paradyskloof to Park Rd Ladder

Distance: 5km
Total Climb: 198m
Water Available: None
Dangers:  Very loose rocks descending down the Chicken Run
Terrain:  About 1km is dirt track.  Rest is Single track, very rocky, lots of gullies.

Start off from the Paradyskloof Eden Forest Gate.  Keep on the big road.  Take first left and after that and then stick to the right to make sure you keep on going up.  You will pretty soon be running out of the pineforest into an area where you will have an open area to your left with two dams and a pine forest to your right.  Keep on going up.  At the end of the stand on your left there is another cross.  Turn left here and follow the jeep track over the next shoulder.  Pretty soon the jeeptrack will become single track.  Follow the single track through an Eucalyptus stand only a few metres thick.  Regular undulating track continues through the stand until the road turns to your left.  You will now be at the top of a hill and will be able to see clear views to Simonsberg.  Continue down the trail called "The Chicken Run".  Be careful as the cycling path is full of loose rock.   Regular forks will occur at intervals.  Make sure to keep left to stay inside the Eucalyptus stand.  Single track now meets up with regular farm track.  Go around left of farmworkers houses and go down to flat.  Turn left at cow paddocks and run another 200m to get to Ladder at the end of the track.

A link to the complete STRAVA segment is below.



Other  STRAVA segments in the trail is as follows.

Paradyskloof Forest Climb
Eden Top Contour Ascent
The High road from Eden to Coetzenburg


A short video of some of the terrain can be seen here.